Too Late to Hold Her, Too Late to Love Her

On the other side, Ava had already started scrubbing soap into her underwear, her movements slow and deliberate. When she caught sight of my pained expression, a flicker of amusement danced in her eyes, barely concealed beneath her feigned innocence.

“Audrey, you’re too careless. Lucky for you, I reacted quickly. Otherwise, you could’ve been seriously hurt.”

With a light remark, she effortlessly shifted all blame away from herself while subtly making me seem at fault.

A slow burn settled in my chest. I gritted my teeth through the pain, stepped forward, and met her gaze head-on. My voice was clear, unwavering.

“You bumped into me. Apologize.”

Ava hadn’t expected me to confront her so directly. Her lips trembled, and in the next instant, tears welled up in her eyes, shimmering like a practiced performance.

“Audrey, do you not like me?” she murmured, her voice trembling with grievance. “Why do you always pick on me? If I did something wrong, just tell me. I’ll change. Isn’t that enough?”

I frowned. She was the one who had hurt me, yet somehow, she twisted the moment into one where she was the victim, and I was the aggressor.

I’d had enough. My patience snapped.

“It’s just the two of us here,” I said flatly. “You can drop the act. I’m not buying it.”

Just as the words left my lips, the bathroom door swung open.

Hugo stepped inside, and right behind him, Jasper rushed in. The moment he spotted Ava’s tear-streaked face, he ran to her, standing protectively in front of her like a tiny shield.

“Mom, I won’t let you bully Aunt Ava! You’re a bad woman!”

A bad woman?

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. My son, the child I had cherished and raised, was looking at me with nothing but hostility.

What did I do wrong?

I was the one who had been hurt, yet even Hugo’s gaze held disappointment as if I were the one truly at fault.

“I understand that you don’t like Ava, but you can’t keep looking for chances to bully her.”

“You’ve changed, Audrey. You weren’t like this before. You used to be so understanding. Look at you now; you’re completely unreasonable.”

Who was the one who changed?

Once, no matter what happened, they stood by my side without question. Now, all they did was blame me, refusing to listen or see. And yet, they dared to say I had changed?

A deep, suffocating sadness crashed over me like a tidal wave, raw and unrelenting. Every breath felt like agony, a dull ache pressing against my chest.

But I swallowed it down. This pain was mine alone to bear.

Without sparing me another glance, Hugo and Jasper turned away, focusing solely on Ava as they carefully led her out.

The moment their figures disappeared through the doorway, a single thought echoed in my mind: just two more days, and I would finally be free.

At the first light of dawn, I slipped out the door.

At the fresh market, I picked out a plump chicken, a softshell turtle, and a bag of high-calcium milk powder, things the elderly needed.

After marriage, my in-laws had always treated me like their own daughter, warm and kind.

Before I left for good, I wanted to see them one last time.

As I stepped through the familiar doorway, my mother-in-law greeted me with a bright smile.

“Audrey, what brings you here on a random day like this?”

I let out a light laugh. “What? Mom, you don’t want to see me?”

She beamed, her face lighting up with joy. “What nonsense! Your dad and I are always looking forward to seeing you. We don’t want to disturb you when you’re busy with work. By the way, where are Hugo and Jasper? Why didn’t they come with you?”

The moment she mentioned my husband and son, the bitterness I had fought so hard to suppress came rushing back, raw and unrelenting. It coiled in my chest, a sharp ache I could barely contain.

Sensing the shift in my expression, my mother-in-law’s brows furrowed with concern. “Did something happen? Are those two giving you trouble? Let me tell you, Audrey, you can’t just let them walk all over you. If they step out of line, don’t hesitate to hit, scold, or teach them a lesson. Don’t hold back.”

My father-in-law’s voice rumbled from the kitchen as he busied himself with the ingredients. “Your mom’s right. A man who isn’t disciplined won’t learn. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, just say the word, we’ll handle it for you.”